FERDINAND'S SAAR

Ferdinand’s Saar Dry Gin is named after Ferdinand Geltz; a historical figure who co-founded the VDP Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Zilliken Estate,one of Germany’s finest vineyards. A family-run business, the vineyard has been producing Riesling for almost three centuries.

It is this Riesling which is added to Ferdinand’s Saar Dry Gin after distilling, before being cut with water and bottled. The Gin is made with thirty (yes, thirty!) botanicals, but rather than being overwhelming, it’s a very complex Gin.

Some of the botanical line-up includes lavender, thyme, juniper, rose hip, sloe, angelica, ginger, almond shell, coriander and rose. The distillation process itself is unusual; as well as macerating and distilling the botanicals in a neutral grain spirit, some botanicals are added to the basket in the neck of the still, which vapor infuse at the same time.

This adds more flavor, and while neither process is uncommon, doing both together is. The addition of the Riesling adds another quality to the Gin. It’s probably not one for the purists, but for those who are looking for something unconventional, this is well worth a try.